


Checkmate

by IloveHajishun111



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, kinda humor?, not your typical arranged marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21697357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IloveHajishun111/pseuds/IloveHajishun111
Summary: “I’m getting married. Next month. I already have the Emperor’s blessing and all.” Ferdinand repeated while sipping his tea, his emotions calm and unwavering, except for the indescribable emotion flickering in his bright orange eyes.Ferdibert Week Day 6: Arranged marriage/Pining
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 7
Kudos: 174





	Checkmate

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @MikaHaruka_FE3H for taking your time to beta this fic for me TT^TT

**Checkmate**

“I’m getting married.”

The words that came out of Ferdinand’s mouth were only slightly louder than a whisper, but Hubert heard it nonetheless, clear and distinct in the crisp air of the Garland Moon.

“Pardon me?” Hubert didn’t know why he had a sudden urge to clarify - perhaps he was not fully awake after his late-night mission yesterday.

“I’m getting married. Next month. I already have the Emperor’s blessing and all.” Ferdinand repeated while sipping his tea, his emotions calm and unwavering, except for the indescribable emotion flickering in his bright orange eyes.

“Immediately after the war?” Hubert sneered with a tug of his mouth, though the words tasted bitter on his tongue, “Seeing as you are that impatient to marry her, this person must be special to you. Who _is_ that unlucky girl anyways?”

“My childhood friend, Elizabeth von Chauveze, Count Chauveze’s daughter.” Ferdinand answered with a tender smile. Hubert found himself despising this noble girl already, with the way her name fell from Ferdinand’s lips, “Since my father has been ill for the past few months, he insisted on me getting married and inheriting the Duke’s title. Though her father is only a minor Lord, Elizabeth is the girl I feel most comfortable with. We have known each other since birth, so I’m confident that she will be a perfect wife. My father has approved of this marriage, and so has the Emperor.”

How come he was the last one to know? 

No, that was not the point. 

The point was why did those words suddenly made his heart _throb_? 

“I will return to the Aegir estate in two days to prepare for the wedding,” Ferdinand added, his attention completely on Hubert, waiting for his reaction. 

In response to that, Hubert quickly masked his emotions and chided, “So you changed your mind after all. Now you want to live a leisurely life with a docile, pretty wife, and inherit a title that no longer has any use? What happened to your ambitions to serve Her Majesty as her right-hand man?”

Ferdinand frowned, averting his gaze from Hubert’s scrutinizing stare. Hubert fought the urge to bite his tongue at his action.

“That was my idea, yes, but after seeing so many lives lost in that last battle, I now wish for peace and a simpler life.” As he spoke once more, something in the Aegir heir’s voice made Hubert flinch a little - something akin to defeat, an unusual sentiment that Hubert never thought that Ferdinand von Aegir could possess. “And also…”

As Ferdinand turned to look him in his eyes again, Hubert immediately suppressed a whine upon seeing emotions in those amber eyes - anguish, exhaustion and...defeat, all of them strange discoveries that made Hubert’s stomach drop.

“I cannot fool myself with that hopeless dream anymore.” Ferdinand said with a sad smile, orange eyes never tearing away from his own, “I finally admit defeat. For all that I did, all that I worked for, I should have known...once it belongs to someone else, it will remain that way forever. No amount of effort could possibly sway it away from its original owner.”

“What are you blabbering on about?” Hubert snidely asked. He was aware that it came out a little too harshly, but he had to do something to suppress the bile in his throat. He quickly reached for his cup and drank down his already cold coffee, though it hardly helped.

“Let’s just say that I am tired of competing with Her Majesty.” Ferdinand closed his eyes and enjoyed the last of his tea, “This might be the last tea time we have together, so let’s not waste it.”

After that, Hubert was left alone in the garden with nothing but a bleeding heart, Ferdinand’s words slowly turning into hundreds of tiny splinters pricking his heart, impossible to take out and too painful to ignore. Alongside those little shards was something resembling regret and Hubert von Vestra had _never_ known regret.

Somehow, he thought, the coffee Ferdinand had brewed for him today tasted far more bitter than usual.

\--

Just as he said, Ferdinand left Enbarr two days later. He had invited all of his former classmates, including Hubert of course, to his estate for the wedding next month.

The moment the von Aegir heir mounted his horse and slowly disappeared into the daylight, Hubert felt his heart being pulled out of his chest, leaving along with him.

After that day, Hubert had buried himself in his work. Ever since one of the Emperor’s Hands abandoned his role for Flames knew how long (perhaps even forever), the other Hand had to endure through the never-ending pile of unfinished tasks - including the reformation, the rebellions of minor Lords, and the surveillance of Those Who Slither In The Dark.

Edelgard noticed how restless he was after just a few days, and had ordered him to rest more than once. Though this might have been the first time he disobeyed his lady’s direct order, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He couldn’t let himself sleep, since working took his mind off sunlit hair, bright grins, light touches, and most of all, the answer to his question that day.

“ _What are you blabbering on about?”_

He feared that the answer would only make him regret letting Ferdinand go even more.

_“Once it belongs to someone else, it will remain that way forever. No amount of effort could possibly sway it away from its original owner.”_

_‘You’re wrong.’_

A whisper in the shadow of the night.

_‘It has belonged to you for quite a long time now.’_

\--

Two weeks later, each of the members of the Black Eagle Strike Force received an invitation to Ferdinand’s wedding.

Hubert immediately crumpled the invitation in his hand upon seeing an unfamiliar name next to ‘Ferdinand Von Aegir’. 

\--

Another two weeks passed by, and Hubert was now begrudgingly escorting his Emperor by carriage to the Aegir estate. 

His mind nagged at him to stay, as there were still hundreds of tasks waiting for him in the capital - but his heart felt otherwise. 

For all that he knew, he might not have many more chances to see Ferdinand after this.

In just two days, that man would become someone else’s husband and, in the future, father to that same person’s children. 

He would no longer be the flamboyant fool, whose tender smiles and lingering stares sweetened his bitter coffee during those rare but harmonious tea times. He would no longer be Hubert’s endearingly annoying fool.

 _That_ Ferdinand would only live on in his memories, his dreams, and his regrets now.

A little more than two days, and Ferdinand would have a new life.

A life that Hubert had no place in.

Hubert bit down on his lower lip to stop a sob threatening to slip out and slumped back in the seat of his private carriage.

_It looks like I’m the one who lost this game after all..._

\--

Hubert stepped down from the carriage feeling like he had just lost 10 years of his life - not because of the long trip, but because of the torment in his heart.

After that, he went straight to his assigned guest room and immediately fell asleep.

He was not ready to face Ferdinand, not yet.

\--

He woke up early the next day and spent a good two hours moping in his bed before finally, _reluctantly_ , getting dressed.

He shouldn't look too shabby at Ferdinand’s wedding or he would never hear the end of it, though he would miss that high-pitched scolding dearly.

Hubert didn’t even bother to glance at himself in the mirror and simply left his room after putting on his trousers.

\--

“Hubert! Here!”

He joined the rest of the Black Eagles in another fancy room of the von Aegir mansion. Edelgard was already there along with the Professor.

His eyes mindlessly searched for that familiar figure and in an instant, found him. Standing in the middle of the crowd was Ferdinand himself.

Hubert had to mentally slap himself to prevent himself from groaning at the sight of the Aegir heir.

He was utterly beautiful - _ethereal_. Today, he was wearing a tailored white suit with red flower patterns on the lapel, his hair fanned over one of his shoulders and tied at the end with a velvet ribbon. That stupid smile was on his face the entire time.

Hubert felt the wound in his heart reopen again, spreading through every nerve in his body. 

Ferdinand was happy, but the one who made him that way was not him.

“Hubert!” Ferdinand spotted him within the crowd and walked towards him.

“Well. I have to say I didn’t expect you would come. What an honor to have the Left Hand of the Emperor at my wedding!” Ferdinand teased and folded his arms. That brought a smile to Hubert’s lips. He had truly missed this familiar pattern between them, always beginning their conversation with teasing and insults, then debating about everything until both of them came to a compromise or reluctantly accepted the other’s ideas. 

“I would rather stay at the capital to deal with the duties you left behind, if not for Her Majesty’s continuous insistence that I attend,” Hubert replied, not entirely a lie.

“I see. So you wouldn’t have come if not for Edelgard, is it?” A tinge of sadness could be heard in Ferdinand’s voice, but before Hubert could explain himself, Ferdinand suddenly grabbed onto the loose cravat around his neck and started to tie it.

“Even if you came here against your will, I would appreciate it if you made an effort to dress professionally for my sake,” Ferdinand complained, his hands still working on Hubert’s cravat.

Hubert stared as one slender gloved finger gracefully slipped under the loop, just barely brushing against his skin before knotting the two flaps securely around his collar into a neat ascot tie. 

Hubert could smell the other’s cologne at this distance, could see Ferdinand’s eyelashes fanned over his cheeks, and could feel the way those auburn locks touched the hem of his shirt.

The moment Ferdinand was done and about to withdraw his hands, Hubert suddenly grabbed them by reflex, the action surprising them both. 

“Just so you know, I didn’t come here only because of Her Majesty’s order” Hubert said, while letting go of Ferdinand’s hands at the same time.

They regarded each other for a few moments before Ferdinand nodded his head, “I thank you for your honesty. And if you will excuse me, I have to go prepare for the ceremony.” 

With that, Ferdinand turned to walk out of the room. Hubert felt the chill returning to his body, except for where the heat from Ferdinand’s hands lingered in his palms, maybe for days to come.

\--

It was a disaster, much like the man himself was at that moment. The halls were extravagantly decorated with the most luxurious materials one could find in all of Fódlan, filled with obnoxious noblemen, ill-mannered children, and above all, unbearable noise!

Hubert wanted nothing more in his life than to flee the scene, but his eyes were glued to the star of the show, Ferdinand, standing on the groom's side waiting for his bride. 

How could a man be so beautiful? His profile, along with the striking orange hair illuminated by the sunlight, completely stole his breath away.

Hubert spotted Her Majesty standing on the altar in her red armor. He supposed that Ferdinand had asked her to solemnize the marriage today. Between the destruction of the church and the Empire’s relentless reconstruction over the last few months, there was no need for priests anymore. Most of them were given a choice to go back to a normal life. So now, having Her Majesty officiate a wedding was the highest honor anyone could have in this new era.

Hubert suddenly felt another stab, adding to his already wounded heart.

It should have been himself and Ferdinand up there receiving Her Majesty’s blessing. Instead, Ferdinand was getting married to a worthless, noble-blooded, hateful woman whose only _real_ purpose was to bear good-for-nothing crest children.

Hubert internally grimaced at himself for the outrageous thoughts that started to sneak into his mind. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining that the person Ferdinand was waiting for with fondness in his eyes was him, and that in just a few minutes, they would say their marriage vows with the blessing of their friends and the witness of the Emperor.

While he was daydreaming about a scenario that would never come true, that detestable woman finally presented herself at the entrance, holding her father’s arm as she slowly began walking down the red carpet. 

Hubert didn’t spare even a glance at the bride - not that he cared about her, but the bride appeared to be too shy or nervous to even lift her face ( _how had she managed to not humiliate herself yet_ , Hubert wondered), preventing him from observing her fully at this angle.

All of his attention was focused on the more conspicuous and bewitching groom. Though, he regretted it as soon as he saw the love in Ferdinand’s eyes upon seeing his soon-to-be wife.

That love should belong only to _him_.

By the time that woman finally finished her dramatically long walk and settled on the bride’s side of the altar opposite Ferdinand’s, a traitorous thought entered Hubert’s mind.

He had to stop the wedding.

Damn his duties, his reputation, whatever the hell Hubert von Vestra was.

If he stopped it now, he might still have a chance to win back Ferdinand. 

But how? 

For the first time in his life as the spymaster, he regretted not looking up information about that woman who dared to steal Ferdinand away from him. He had spent too much time denying his feelings and moping around the capital, busying himself even with the tiniest of tasks he could get his hands on.

If he had known something about her, he could have used it to his advantage, be it her family’s humiliating history, a scandalous rendezvous with a servant, or maybe financial hardship...anything - but it was too late for that now. On the platform, Edelgard had begun to cite the traditional Imperial wedding vows, omitting mentions of the Goddess and the church. 

Hubert’s mind running at the speed of ten galloping horses, weighed every option that he could use on the spot.

_‘Maybe I can knock everyone out with the sleeping gas and carry Ferdinand away - but Her Majesty is here too, and that would mean treason!’_

By the time Edelgard declared “Will anyone object to this sacred wedding today?”, Hubert found himself frantically standing up and yelling “I DO!”

Now, hundreds of eyes were on him, including Ferdinand’s own surprised amber pair.

_Great!_

“Hubert? Do you have something to say?” Edelgard asked in disbelief as the rest of the Black Eagles stared at him with dumbstruck expressions on their faces, including the Professor, looking at him like he had just grown another head.

“I do, Your Majesty.” Hubert swallowed hard and stepped out of his seat’s row, people letting him by knowing full well who he was. He faced Ferdinand on the red carpet, his eyes locked onto the orange pools as he continued “With all due respect, I dare say this ridiculous wedding serves as nothing but a reminder of the dark times under the influence of the false church that we’ve worked so hard to destroy. I don’t see the appeal in marrying a girl to satisfy the wishes of a parent on their deathbed, or just to breed useless offspring in an era where bloodlines and crests mean absolutely nothing. I thought that von Aegir over there would be well-versed in this matter. But for some unfathomable reason, he has decided to do just that. He’s either under a hypnotic spell that this vile woman cast upon him, or he has used up all of his brain-power over the last 5 years.”

“I beg your pardon!” Ferdinand exclaimed, blushing hard from either embarrassment or anger.

“And besides,” Hubert continued, ignoring the way those amber eyes sent daggers at him. He had to release his frustrations and anguish from the past few weeks, “I believe this woman here is not a suitable choice for von Aegir. Among all of the people here, he is probably the most impetuous and impudent buffoon, possessing none of the noble traits that he claims he has. Anyone who meets him would never understand just where he gets all of his boundless energy from. It would take a tremendous effort just to shut him up, not to mention the nonsensical hyperboles that flow from his mouth. But even so, von Aegir deserves a far better spouse, one who is his equal and knows his worth more than anyone else in this hall.”

“And who would that be? _You_?” Ferdinand yelled back, shoulders shaking.

“Yes. _Me_.” Those words flew out of his mouth without thinking. 

The hall immediately fell into complete silence, Ferdinand’s amber eyes wide open.

And before his brain started functioning again, Hubert found himself saying, or rather hissing, “For Flames sake, Ferdinand! You didn’t even give me time to process anything and fucking left just like that! Don’t you know that I’ve been...fine, you win...whatever you want from me, it already belongs to you...only you.”

“You dumb snake!” Hubert flinched as Ferdinand grabbed the nearest flower bouquet and threw it straight at his face, nearly choking him with the excessive smell of over-decorated flowers (luckily there were no roses present).

“Ferdinand?! What are you...” He snarled, sweeping away petals from his eyes to see. Much to his horror, Ferdinand simply abandoned his bride and lunged towards him. In a swift and dizzy movement, the ginger-head grabbed his lapels and pulled him in for...a kiss.

They kissed in front of hundreds of noblemen, Fódlan’s most powerful figure - Emperor Edelgard, and her Professor, along with their old comrades, and above all, Ferdinand’s dying father, who looked like he was about to draw his last breath at the scene. (Immediately the servants escorted him back to his private quarters.)

But to hell with them, all Hubert cared about right now was pulling Ferdinand in closer and deepening the kiss.

After they parted a little while later, Ferdinand practically yelled at him, feverish blush on his face visible from even the last row of pews, “I’ve been flirting and hitting on you for the last several months. How come you didn’t notice that, you preposterous imbecile?!!”

“I...” Before Hubert could utter anything at all, a loud, deafening laugh disturbed the silence.

It was Caspar, laughing his ass off, “HAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD! FINALLY, I CAN LAUGH! HAHAHAHA! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW HARD I TRIED TO KEEP IT IN!!”

“Well, the Professor’s plan worked out after all.” Petra nodded her head and smiled proudly, “Love does make people...um...dull-witted.”

“What are you…?” And once again, before he could finish his sentence, he watched in disgust as the timid and skittish bride started to remove her hair, no _wig_ , revealing familiar purple locks underneath.

“Bernadetta?” Hubert hissed through his teeth - he hadn’t even noticed her disappearance during the ceremony. 

“Ahh!!! Hubert, don’t look at me like that!! The Professor told me to disguise as Ferdie’s bride and thank the Goddess you finally confessed to him or else...!! Ahh, Bernie is too young to get married!” Bernadetta shrieked and hid behind Edelgard.

“Do not worry, Bernadetta.” Edelgard patted the younger girl's head gently, “I told Ferdinand that if Hubert didn’t stop the wedding in time, then I would go down there and force him to confess his feelings myself.”

Her Majesty’s words rang in his head just as his brain finally started to work again, picking up the pieces and stringing together his comrades' preposterous scheme.

“Then who the hell is Elizabeth?” Hubert asked with gritted teeth as he ran his hands through his dishevelled hair.

“She _is_ my childhood friend, but she already has someone she loves, a son of a knight. Her father disapproved of them, so she agreed to play a part in the Professor’s brilliant plan.” Ferdinand answered with a slight smirk, “As of right now, I’m sure they are on their way to the Alliance for their lovely honeymoon.”

“....”

“Hubert, please don’t make that face like you want to slaughter everyone in this entire venue.” Edelgard said with a suppressed grin, “This was a plan the Professor and I came up with, since you two are extremely stubborn with your feelings for each other. So let’s just say that this was our...last resort. Though, I’m surprised that Caspar and Dorothea could hold it in this long.” 

“Oi, Your Majesty! You’re the one who was threatening to disallow my wedding with Linhardt if I didn’t act along with your scheme!” Caspar, finally done with his hysterical laughing, shouted as Edelgard shrugged at him.

“I went along with it since they told me to just be myself and do nothing,” Linhardt said, yawning.

“Sorry, Hubie. I really wanted to let you know. I really did.” Dorothea apologized, but the way she snickering proved that she enjoyed this greatly, “But I can’t go against Edie’s command, especially when she threatened to cut funds and withdraw sponsorship from our opera company _forever_. So you understand, right?” 

Hubert massaged his forehead, a long, defeated sigh leaving his mouth. How he still dared to call himself the Master Maneuverer when he fell for this amateur, atrocious scheme was beyond him.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this ludicrous charade.” Hubert growled at Ferdinand, though there was no animosity in his tone.

“That’s because you’re so bloody dense. I can’t say I don’t enjoy seeing you so disoriented though. And because of that, I forgive you for humiliating me in front of all these Imperial nobles.” Ferdinand chuckled lightheartedly and gave him a peck on his cheek, successfully sending Hubert back into his earlier trance.

Without waiting for Hubert to pull himself out of his stupor, Ferdinand dragged him towards the platform. 

“What are you doing?” Hubert stumbled on his feet.

“Getting married, of course, you dunce.” Ferdinand smiled all too brightly at him.

"What???!!!!" Hubert swore that his face heated up faster than the speed of light.

“Well, Hubert. Since you two finally came to an...understanding, and we are all gathered here in one place, why don’t you and Ferdinand just get married for real? Don’t waste our efforts decorating this place for you.” Edelgard smiled, but the stare she gave him was that of absolute authority and Hubert never dared to disobey a direct order from Her Majesty but…

“So it was all talk earlier? Am I nothing but a fling to you that you’re so opposed to marrying me?” Ferdinand asked, the wounded look in his puppy eyes making Hubert panic.

“No! Of course you’re not a fling, Ferdie. You mean more to me than I ever deserve and I do want to marry you but…” Hubert tried to subside his blushing by burying his face in his hands, “I haven’t prepared any kind of ring for you.”

“Don’t worry about that.” The Professor said with a small smile and stepped forward to give Hubert a small box, “I've prepared it for you here.”

“Thank...thank you, Professor.” Hubert, still red-faced, accepted the box and opened it. 

The ring looked perfect for Ferdinand, its body made from platinum and the jewel in the middle a rare yellow tourmaline, just as Ferdinand deserved it.

Hubert didn’t quite remember what happened next, though he recalled hearing Her Majesty citing the wedding vows again. Next, he felt warm hands lifting his own, slipping a ring, black body with amethyst in the middle, onto his finger. He did the same with Ferdinand’s, the Professor’s ring fitting perfectly on that graceful finger.

The crowd cheered and Hubert blinked at the man before him.

They were now married, _officially_ married.

Him and Ferdinand von Aegir.

Ferdinand von Aegir and him.

Before Hubert’s heart and mind could make sense of it all, Ferdinand pulled him into another tight embrace, hot lips hovering over the side of his face as his newlywed husband whispered softly into his ear, “Checkmate, von Vestra.”

To that, Hubert only laughed and tightened his grip around this insufferable, ridiculous man that managed to steal his heart, “That you did, von Aegir. That you did.”


End file.
